Photoshop - Using Selections As a Design Tool

The selection tools in Photoshop are the gateway to your design control. Being able to isolate parts of your image or design, being able to duplicate effects, being able to blend images to create the 'total' effect all depend on making selections. After making selections, its quite easy to use other design tools in Photoshop to take advantage. Typically in our introduction we think of selections as the process to copy and mask a certain area, but once we see the many options and editing tools that work together, we see how selections becomes part of the design process itself.

For a great starter, try this: make a selection, with any of the selection tools, anywhere on your drawing, then select the paint bucket and apply to your selection. You just added a new shape to your drawing! Ideally we would create a new layer and apply this exercise on its own discreet layer first but... hey... you get the picture.

Now try this. Create a new layer. Create a similar selection area. Click the option arrow with the paint bucket tool to choose the gradient tool. Under the main menu bar you will see the default gradient based on your foreground color. To apply this inside your new selection, choose a point outside your selection area, click your mouse then choose a second across from your first point, outside the selected area. This will apply the gradient, based on your current foreground color choice across the selected area. If you went through these same steps but placed your beginning and end point inside your selected area, only part of the selection area would receive the gradient application.

This is a great one to experiment with passing your gradient from top to bottom, left to right, completely covering your new shape or just adding a hint to one edge. Playing with the way you begin and end your gradient application opens up many design options, hinting at color or saturating it in the center.

There's much more! This is just placement options with the default gradient. If you click on the arrow next to your gradient menu display, you see several gradient presets. These presets have blended colors producing a complimentary blend. If you hover your mouse over the gradient options, their name/color blend will be displayed. Try the copper blend to see a shiny radiant gradient!

Finally, to the right of the gradient color display are the gradient application options: linear, radial, angle, reflected, and diamond. You will want to experiment with these too. The angle pattern adds a bit of depth and extra dimension to your application. The linear applies a smooth gradient in the direction of your beginning and end design. The radial applies the gradient in a circle pattern you define with your circle center and outermost point.

These preset colors and special treatment make it easy to flirt with your imagination and begin using your selections as a drawing tool exploring the possibilities they provide.